Region II Survey About NCUA Examiners Shows DOR Strain

CUNA-affiliated leagues in NCUA’s Region II are first out of the gate to report the results of an exam survey conducted in partnership between the organizations.

According to a release from the New Jersey Credit Union League, nearly 56% of Region II credit unions said they are seeing items showing up on their Documents of Resolution that they have never seen before, and nearly 81% report continued regulatory burden is straining resources.

Meanwhile, about the same percentage, nearly 80%, said their examiner was “excellent” or “good” in professionalism and helpfulness.

“The crux of the survey is to utilize the results to work constructively with regulators on both how to improve the exam process and find areas ripe for regulatory relief, as well as give credit unions tools to deal with emerging issues,” said NJCUL President/CEO Paul Gentile.

“Having an ongoing measurement of the exam process helps us as leagues better advocate with regulators because we understand what’s happening on the ground at credit unions and we can identify trends, both good and bad. It is not a ‘gotcha’ tool against regulators. It’s also helping us identify what is going very well in exams and could be broadened out,” Gentile said.

The survey is designed to capture primarily non-anecdotal feedback on credit unions’ exam experiences. Results from all leagues located in the NCUA’s Region II will be mined on an individual league/association level for state-by-state results, as well as compiled into a broader Region II report that will be shared with the NCUA, state regulators and CUNA.

Other findings from the third-quarter survey reveal that nearly 65% of responding credit unions say they received a Document of Resolution in their last exam. Despite the increased use of DORs, nearly 80% ranked their examiner excellent or good in professionalism and helpfulness.

Twenty-eight percent said their on-site exams lasted 13 days or longer, while 45.2% reported exams from four to nine days. Nearly half – 48.1% - said their examiner rescheduled the exam date and time to accommodate the examiner’s schedule.

The survey is currently available on CUNA’s website for credit unions in other regions to complete; the deadline is Dec. 15, but CUNA said in a release it may extend the date if credit unions are unable to participate due to the holiday rush.